I have been reading lots of diaries since last year but havn't had the money to start Exante yet, however i ordered my first months pack on friday so looking forward to it arriving tomorrow and getting started!

about me: im 26 in march, married and have two beautiful daughters, almost 4, and 1 year old. They are my main focus for losing weight, my eldest is starting school in september and i am determined NOT to be the fat mummy! when i met my husband 5 years ago i weighed 13 stone which was my lowest in a long time due to being ill with gallstones, but since having kids and generally being lazy ive piled on the weight! and now weigh in the region of 19 stone eeekkkkkk! this is my heaviest ever, im 5'9 so at least that helps in a way, i have ordered some scales which will come tomorrow also as i dont know my exact weight so will post tomorrow!

sorry to bore everyone with that, but also my husband wants another baby but ive said not till im a healthy weight as my daughters were both born via c section as got stuck! both weighed 9lbs, and with my youngest they almost couldnt put the epidural in my back due to not being able to feel my spine through all the fat which made me feel awful! so with the next baby i want to be healthy and have a good pregnancy and easy birth!

i have taken a before photo although i wont be posting until ive lost 2 stone as at the moment its just awful!

can anyone tell me, after having kids im left with that awful apron of skin hanging down which i have to tuck into trousers and at 26 its just not on!
will my skin spring back to some normality or will i still be left with it?

my target is the 16th October as thats my 4th wedding anniversary and would love to have some photos taken of me and hubby!

height 5'9
start weight: 19 (something)
goal weight: 10 stone

lets hope i can do this! very nervous

jax x

23rd February, 2014

demmeister

Hi! Firstly welcome and good luck!

As regards the skin situation, I've done quite a bit of reading as my gf has a similar stomach situation and we were wondering whether it would ever really go back to being flat.

First you have to understand that your skin is incredibly flexible BUT once it gets to a point, there's just too much damage for it to be able to unstretch all the way. Second, I read somewhere that as you store fat, your body creates new cells to store that fat in. Although you can burn the content of those cells (the fat), there's no way to remove the cells themselves so they'll always be there.

There are various things you can do to help with the unstretching process. Firstly, being young is a huge advantage. Second you must drink lots of water - its part of the Exante diet anyway but it helps with the flexibility of your skin. Third, strength training is a good idea - it strengthens the muscles that are responsible for pulling your skin back into it's original shape.

I hope that helps but there's loads of information out there if you just google for it.

One thing that you might think of is this: when you're unclothed and fat and you look in the mirror, you're probably not happy about what you see. If you lose weight and have saggy skin, you might feel the same.
HOWEVER when you're clothed and fat and you look in the mirror, you're probably not happy about what you see. If you lose weight and have saggy skin, your clothes will cover it and you'll look fab in the mirror!

More importantly, losing weight means a healthier body, a longer life and more time with your kids :-)

23rd February, 2014

jax88

Thank you so much for that! thats really helpful, i was thinking of trying to do sit ups daily to hope that helps the situation! as i just want it gone completely so i can feel confident again!

by the way you're doing very well, are you finding it easy?

23rd February, 2014

demmeister

I don't know about "easy" but it certainly gets easier after the first week once ketosis really kicks in and you stop feeling hungry. The key thing for me was finding a combination of products that I could stomach. I was having real problems going off products that I initially enjoyed. It became a real chore to eat them. Fortunately I've found (to my surprise!) that I really enjoy the shakes so I just do three of those a day now.
The thing that keeps me going is knowing that this is the quickest possible way to get down to a healthy weight and then resume a healthy normal diet.

Your goal weight is fantastic but quite long term. I'd suggest making some more short term goals to keep you motivated in the meantime :-)

23rd February, 2014

Sparkley

Hi Jax

Welcome aboard the good ship Exante!

Well done on making the decision to tackle the weight, getting in the right frame of mind do 'do it' is half the battle. This forum has been a huge help for me in my Exante journey, reading other peoples success stories and knowing that you are not on your own with your battle is a huge help.

Like Demmeister says, the first few days are the hardest. I'd say day two and three were my most testing, but just keep your focus on wanting a great loss in your first week - you will be unlikely to top your first week loss so make it the best you possibly can. When you get on the scales after your first week the result will give you the motivation to get through the next week. By this time you will be in ketosis and not feeling hungry. I resisted getting on the scales during the first week as didn't want anything to put me off. If you are following the plan 100% then there is nothing more you can do so getting on the scales on day 2 or 3 and not seeing the result you are hoping for could send you off the rails. Resist and just weigh in after the whole week has passed.

This is my first time on a VLCD and I never thought I would be able to stick to it as I like my food and enjoy the feeling of being full. But it has been the easiest diet I have ever tried... and I've tried a lot over the years!

Regarding your loose skin issue... I lost 11 stones with WW when I was about your age and was left with a lot of sagging empty skin all over. I went to see my GP and was referred to an NHS surgeon. They said they would remove it on the NHS but there was a 2 year waiting list (this is over 20 years ago so might be different now!). In the end I paid to have the surgery. My surgeon said that my skin had been over-stretched for so many years (big baby, toddler, child and adult) that it had lost its elasticity and would never go back to where it should have been. He said that everyone is different and it depends on the elasticity of your skin. Over the years my weight has been up and down and in July last year it was back to its all time high of nearly 24 stones. Since then I have lost 7 stones with Exante and my skin has gone back to how it was after my op so hoping I will be okay this time around.

You can do it Jax... just follow the rules and you can't go wrong. When I started 7 months ago it felt like an unachievable goal and so far away, but time will pass whether you do this or not and the worst thing would be getting to the 16th October and not having stuck with it and regretting it. Think positive... you can do it!

Good luck.

x

23rd February, 2014

Darcy15

Hello and welcome! :)

23rd February, 2014

jax88

Thanks everyone! i think it will really help me having this diary and all you lovely people to talk to and keep me motivated!

i will take it one step at a time, one day, one pound, one stone etc as its going to be a looooong journey!

regarding the 1 week break we are supposed to have after 3 weeks, do i NEED to do this? or is it going to slow me down?

:-)

23rd February, 2014

demmeister

Try not to think of it as a break. You're only adding 201 calories to your diet each day and if you stay away from carbs then you'll stay in ketosis. You can even do a bit of exercise to burn off the extra 201 calories.
I believe it's a guideline that Exante have to follow by law and I imagine there are health reasons for it. That said, I know from reading around these forums that many people forgo the food week and just stick to their three products.
I'm in that food week at the moment and I have to say that even if I don't lose any weight, it's been beneficial mentally. It's kind of like taking a break from what is quite an extreme diet, almost like rewarding yourself for your three weeks good behaviour. Also I feel like if I don't lose anything this week, it'll be even more motivation to get back into the normal three products a day routine again :-)

23rd February, 2014

jax88

i suppose mentally the add a food week will help me, i just need to stay in control think it will be something very simple, or i might even have milk as it says on the website to have a glass of milk instead of food.

reallly hope my stuff turns up in the morning tomorrow, as i want that to be my first day as ive mentally prepared for it, and have had me "last meal" lol

are the couriers usually in the morning or can it be anytime?

23rd February, 2014

demmeister

It depends. If they used dpd like they did with our first two orders then we found they usually come next day around lunchtime although they texted first thing to let us know.
Our third order came with Yodel and we had an absolute nightmare. In the end it had to be reordered and still didn't turn up for several days. No text to let us know when it would arrive but it came around midday again.

24th February, 2014

jax88

well it all came at 11am! so i am officially on my first day of exante! exciting stuff

so i weighed myself and my start weight is

20st AWFUL i never want to see that number again!

but hey ho, have so far had apple and cinnamon porridge which was a bit...thick but ok i suppose!

than had a choc shake with coffee in it which was lovely

so far ive not felt hunger and been drinking lots of water, thought i would be dreading making the family shepards pie as i know i can have my "special" shepards pie lol

hope everyones doing well

roll on next monday weigh in!

jax

24th February, 2014

jax88

so have now had my dinner, shepherds pie with a coke zero and was nice with a bit of black pepper. the coke zero really helps feel like a normal meal and fill me up

roll on tomorrow!

24th February, 2014

Darcy15

Well done for day one! :D

Get past the first few days then it gets much easier :)

24th February, 2014

Sparkley

Quote:

Originally Posted by jax88

so have now had my dinner, shepherds pie with a coke zero and was nice with a bit of black pepper. the coke zero really helps feel like a normal meal and fill me up roll on tomorrow!

Well done Jax, that's day one done - now just repeat - you've proved you can do it. This time next week you'll be all of a glow with your first week loss and your wise choices will have been soooo worth it. Good luck x

25th February, 2014

jax88

thanks everyone! does anyone have any tips to make the meals? i know some people have been mentioning the pasta carbonara is tricky to make well, and i would like to makee the shake hot with coffee any suggestions?

anyways, woke up today with a banging headache and hubby is working all day today so i have our girls all on my own which will be demanding and tiring! hopefully i can muster the energy to get through, dont feel hungry today though at all? is it possible to go into ketosis on second day? if so im loving it, normally starving by now!